Thread: Contractor/ABN - what do I need to do/charge?

Mine was always a lot higher than what you fellas are paying and I used a broker.
Anywhere from $1100/year up to $2400 for refrig/AC work.

At one point 20 years ago I struggled to get cover as too many claims by other contractors in the industry the previous year. A few houses had been burnt down....

Scott, another expensive insurance will be a substitute for workers' comp. As a sole trader you won't be able to use Work Cover (Queensland rules, check NSW).

It might be all over even before it began. He's offered me $30/hr.
I told him no & explained why - he had no idea I'd need PL insurance. Anyway, he's offered me cash for a couple of hours work tomorrow, just to get a taste of what it's like & I'll check with the accountant what other costs I might be up for.

Talk about being thrown into the deep end. I went around today & he gave me this old cart that he & his offsider had been trying to get going for weeks. Parts had been thrown at it, screws completely stripped from removal a hundred times, you get the idea. If there's one thing I hate, it's trying to fix stuff after someone else has had a go at it.
I was given the wiring diagrams.....in Chinese. Someone has translated the colours but they don't match what's on the cart. On the cart itself, even the main power cable from the solenoid to the motor ECU is black, like the earth cables. Other cables appear to be different colours at each end. The fault finding chart is in classic Chinglish, great fun trying to work out what they mean.

Anyway, this cart was going but now doesn't. The owner told me the battery indicator was showing low but he tested the batteries & they're fine - 39v on a 36v system. It didn't take long to sort out the loose terminals on the main solenoid to fix the battery indicator but everything else was poo. I'm sure someone has been playing with the wiring somewhere along the line as there's a massive flash when hooking up the main battery earth now. Tested the solenoid, OK. Found the short went when the motor speed ECU was disconnected from the main switch/pedal harness so I'm sure the problem is further along there somewhere. The strange thing is if I ignore the 'short', nothing seems to be affected by it. Nothing gets hot, nothing smells. I thought for a moment it might be normal for a 36v system but my gut says no.

Anyway, he's upped the pay to $50/hr but I'm not sure now I want to work for him. I get the feeling he just wants this problem cart sorted out then I'll be called only when needed again. I don't want or need the hassle of getting my insurances sorted out only for the work to dry up. Off to the accountant tomorrow morning & see if she thinks it's a good idea or not.

Originally Posted by V8Ian

Scott, another expensive insurance will be a substitute for workers' comp. As a sole trader you won't be able to use Work Cover (Queensland rules, check NSW).

If you are being paid based on an hourly rate, Work Cover will deem you as an employee and your "Boss" is/will be held responsible for any Work Cover claims. I would imagine the ATO would also have an opinion on a Sub Contractor with an ABN working for an hourly rate.

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My recollection when GST was introduced is that your turnover had to be more than $50,000 per annum before GST applied. Happy to be corrected if this is not still the case.

Peter.

Just googled it up and the threshold is now $75,000 dollars. You probably won't need to worry about it !

Peter.

Originally Posted by pop058

If you are being paid based on an hourly rate, Work Cover will deem you as an employee and your "Boss" is/will be held responsible for any Work Cover claims. I would imagine the ATO would also have an opinion on a Sub Contractor with an ABN working for an hourly rate.

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If they know that is the intention, they will not issue the ABN. There are ways around it as long as "Labour Hire" is stated.